Fitted covering for a mattress

Abstract

A fitted covering for a mattress includes a body, a peripheral elastic cord, and corner elastic bands. The body includes an upper panel and a side skirt extending outwardly away from the upper panel to define a free edge opposite the upper panel. The upper panel defines corners, and the side skirt defines corner lines each extending away from one of the corners of the upper panel. The peripheral elastic cord is coupled to and extends substantially coextensively with the free edge. The corner elastic bands are each formed separately from one another. The corner elastic bands each extend substantially transversely across and secured to a corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt. Each of the corner elastic bands is positioned nearer the peripheral elastic cord than the upper panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fitted covering for a mattress, the fitted covering comprising:
 a body including an upper panel and a side skirt extending outwardly away from the upper panel to define a free edge opposite the upper panel, wherein:
 the upper panel defines corners, and 
 the side skirt defines corner lines each extending away from one of the corners of the upper panel; 
 
 a peripheral elastic cord coupled to and extending substantially coextensively with the free edge; and 
 corner elastic bands each formed separately and being spaced from one another, the corner elastic bands each extending substantially transversely across and being secured to a corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt, wherein each of the corner elastic bands is positioned nearer the peripheral elastic cord than the upper panel, each of the corner elastic bands includes opposing ends and a center positioned between the opposing ends, and the center of each of the corner elastic bands is secured to the corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt such that the center of each of the corresponding elastic bands is positioned farther away from the peripheral elastic cord than any other portion of the corner elastic band; 
 wherein:
 the side skirt includes four side panels each extending from a different edge of the upper panel, and 
 each of the four side panels is sewn to two adjacent others of the four side panels along the corner lines to form a corner seam extending along each corner line, and 
 the four side panels collectively define the side skirt. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the corner lines extends substantially linearly and substantially perpendicularly relative to the upper panel when the fitted covering is disposed on the mattress. 
 
     
     
       3. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein each corner elastic band is secured to two of the four side panels adjacent the corresponding one of the corner lines of the skirt. 
     
     
       4. The fitted covering of  claim 3 , wherein each corner elastic band extends along a length of no more than a quarter of a length of each of the ones of the four side panels that is secured to the corner elastic band. 
     
     
       5. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corner elastic bands curves inwardly as it extends away from the corner line. 
     
     
       6. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corner elastic bands is secured to a length of the side skirt that is greater than a length of the respective one of the corner elastic bands in a non-stretched state. 
     
     
       7. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed as a single piece of material. 
     
     
       8. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein the side skirt is substantially inelastic. 
     
     
       9. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein the corner elastic bands are each positioned at least about 9 inches away from the upper panel. 
     
     
       10. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , in combination with a mattress including:
 an upper face, 
 a lower face opposite the upper face, and 
 side faces extending between the upper face and the lower face, 
 wherein:
 the upper panel of the fitted covering extends over and substantially covers the upper face of the mattress, and 
 the corner elastic bands of the fitted covering extend one of below the lower face of the mattress and along the side faces of the mattress depending upon a thickness of the mattress defined between the upper face and the lower face of the mattress. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein the fitted covering is one of a mattress pad and a fitted sheet. 
     
     
       12. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein the corner elastic bands are each entirely positioned on the side skirt between the upper panel and the peripheral elastic cord. 
     
     
       13. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corner elastic bands defines two opposing ends, and each of the corner elastic bands is substantially continuously stitched to the side skirt between corresponding ones of the two opposing ends. 
     
     
       14. The fitted covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corner elastic bands includes:
 a first segment linearly extending from the center toward one of the opposing ends, and 
 a second segment linearly extending from the center away from the first segment and toward the other of the opposing ends. 
 
     
     
       15. A fitted covering for a mattress, the fitted covering comprising:
 a body including an upper panel and a side skirt extending outwardly away from the upper panel to define a free edge opposite the upper panel, wherein:
 the upper panel defines corners, and 
 the side skirt defines corner lines each extending away from one of the corners of the upper panel and includes four side panels each extending from a different edge of the upper panel between two adjacent ones of the corner lines; 
 
 a peripheral elastic cord coupled to and extending substantially coextensively with the free edge; and 
 corner elastic bands each formed separately and spaced from one another, the corner elastic bands each extending substantially transversely across and being secured to a corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt and to two of the four side panels adjacent the corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt, wherein each of the corner elastic bands is positioned nearer the peripheral elastic cord than the upper panel, and each of the corner elastic bands linearly extends away from each side of the corresponding one of the corner lines to opposing ends of the corner elastic band and each of the corner elastic bands is positioned nearer the peripheral elastic cord at the opposing ends of each of the corner elastic bands than at the corner line. 
 
     
     
       16. The fitted covering of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a curvature of each of the corner elastic bands toward the peripheral elastic cords at the ends of each of the corner elastic bands is more pronounced when the fitted covering is not disposed on the mattress as compared to when the fitted covering is disposed on the mattress. 
 
     
     
       17. A mattress covering for use on a mattress defining a top face, a bottom face positioned opposite the top face, and side faces extending substantially perpendicularly relative to the top face, the mattress covering comprising:
 a body including:
 a top panel for covering the top face of the mattress; 
 a side skirt for covering the side faces of the mattress and at least a portion of the bottom face of the mattress, wherein:
 the side skirt includes two lateral skirt segments and two longitudinal skirt segments, and 
 opposite ends of each of the two lateral skirt segments are positioned immediately adjacent to different ones of the two longitudinal skirt segments to form one of four intersection lines along a boundary between corresponding ones of the two lateral skirt segments and the two longitudinal skirt segments; 
 
 
 a closed-loop elastic band secured to edges of the side skirt opposite the top panel; and 
 four separate corner elastic bands each extending across a different one of the four intersection lines, wherein each of the four separate corner elastic bands includes a lateral segment linearly extending from the different one of the four intersection lines over a portion of an adjacent one of the two lateral skirt segments toward another one of the four intersection lines and terminating at a first free end spaced from each of the two longitudinal skirt segments of the body; 
 wherein each of the four separate corner elastic bands is substantially entirely positioned over the side skirt between but spaced from each of the closed-loop elastic band and the top panel, and each of the four separate corner elastic bands is positioned nearer to the closed-loop elastic band at the first free end than at the different one of the four intersection lines. 
 
     
     
       18. The mattress covering of  claim 17 , wherein each of the four separate corner elastic bands includes a longitudinal segment extending from the different one of the four intersection lines over a portion of an adjacent one of the two longitudinal skirt segments toward a different one of the four intersection lines and terminating at a second free end spaced from each of the two lateral skirt segments of the body. 
     
     
       19. The mattress covering of  claim 17 , wherein the four separate corner elastic bands are entirely positioned over the side skirt between the top panel and the closed-loop elastic band and are positioned closer to the closed-loop elastic band than to the top panel of the body. 
     
     
       20. The mattress covering of  claim 17 , wherein the first free end of the each of the four separate elastic bands is positioned nearer the different one of the four intersection lines than to another one of the four separate elastic bands. 
     
     
       21. A method of constructing a fitted covering, the method comprising:
 providing a fabric body including:
 an upper panel defining four corners, 
 a side skirt extending radially outwardly away from an outer periphery of the upper panel to define a free edge opposite the upper panel, the side skirt defining four panels, and each of the four panels extending between a different two of the four corners of the side skirt and defining a first end and a second end, wherein the side skirt defines corner lines each extending away from a different one of the corners of the upper panel along a substantially linear boundary between two of the four panels of the side skirt; 
 
 securing a primary elastic to the free edge such that the primary elastic extends substantially coextensively with the free edge; and 
 securing secondary elastic bands, each formed separately from each other, to the side skirt entirely spaced from one another, wherein securing the secondary elastic bands includes:
 positioning the secondary elastic bands to each extend substantially transversely across a corresponding one of the corner lines of the side skirt and to be positioned nearer the primary elastic than the upper panel, and 
 securing a substantial entirety of a length of the secondary elastic bands to the side skirt such that each of the secondary elastic bands extends across the corresponding one of the corner lines, wherein securing the substantial entirety of the length of the secondary elastic bands includes securing each of the secondary elastic bands with two spaced rows of stitching, and each of the two spaced rows of stitching is adjacent a different one of opposing elongated edges of a corresponding one of the secondary elastic bands. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein positioning the secondary elastic bands includes placing a lateral segment of each one of the second elastic bands to extend across less than about 25% of a lateral width of one of the four panels of the side skirt. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein positioning the secondary elastic bands includes positioning each of the secondary elastic bands to curve inwardly toward the primary elastic as each of the secondary elastic bands extends away from the corner line such that each of the secondary elastic bands is positioned nearer the primary elastic at opposing ends of each of the secondary elastic bands than at the corner line, and a curvature of each of the secondary elastic bands toward the primary elastic at the ends of each of the secondary elastic bands is more pronounced when the fitted covering is not disposed on a mattress as compared to when the fitted covering is disposed on the mattress.